Method and means for clearing textile rolls



y 1954 M. G. WHITEHURST ETAL 3,141,203

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CLEARING TEXTILE ROLLS Filed Dec. 31, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 SucrnoN Sconce- INVENTORSI MARCUS Gwun-enuzs'r and Joe R.WH1TEHURST ATTORNEY S y 1964 M. G. WHITEHURST ETAL 3,141,203

METHOD AND MEANS FOR CLEARING TEXTILE ROLLS Filed Dec. 31. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mmacua GWmTEHuRsT andJoe R. wmrenuasr ATTORNEYS INVENTORS:

United States Patent 3,141,203 METHQD AND MEANS FOR CLEARING TEXTILE ROLLS Marcus G. Whitehurst and Joe R. Whitehurst, Bessemer City, N.C., assignors to Ideal Industries, Inc., Bessemer City, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Dec. 31, 1958, Ser. No. 784,124 1 Claim. (Cl. 19-263) This invention relates to an improved suction clearing apparatus and method for removing small residual fibers from textile drafting rolls. This application is a continuation-in-part of our copending applications, Serial Nos. 656,247 (now Patent No. 2,934,797) and 746,452 (now Patent No. 2,935,435), respectively filed May 1, 1957 and July 3, 1958 and respectively entitled Suction Clearer for Textile Rolls and Method and Method of Increasing Fiber Length While Drafting.

Said copending applications disclose individual elongated suction heads for each drafting roll in each roll sec tion of a drawing frame or other drafting machine. Opposed ends of each suction head bear against bearings, in which the drafting roll is journaled, so as to maintain opposed longitudinal edges of the suction head in substantially sealing relation to but in spaced relation to the periphery of the roll. This permits fine fibers picked up by the roll to pass into the suction head and causes the suction currents to flow inwardly at opposite ends of the suction head and longitudinally of the rolls. Thus, the air currents move transversely of the lay of the fine fibers on the rolls and dislodge the same, along with other foreign matter such as moit particles, leaf particles, etc, so they are borne away from the rolls.

In order to further improve the end product (cotton sliver or roving), it is an object of this invention to provide a method which includes wiping the periphery of each roll, along the working surface thereof, within the suction head to not only assist in dislodging the residual fibers from the flutes and cots of the rolls, but to also crush small cotton seed particles, many of which are invisible to the naked eye. In crushing these microscopic seed particles, the wiper also spreads the cotton seed oil over the working surface of each roll so the oil is so lightly distributed through the processed fibers as to be undetectable. This also eliminates the formation of hard chunks of fibers in the product and minimizes or eliminates lap-ups around the textile rolls.

It is another object of this invention to provide adjustment members on opposed ends of the suction heads, which members engage the roll supports or bearings so as to adjustably maintain the longitudinal edges of the suction heads and the wiper elements therein in proper relation to the peripheries of the rolls. Thus, the suction heads may be adjusted to compensate for wearing of the rolls. This is important, considering that it is occasionally necessary to refinish the cots or pliable covers of cushion rolls by removing stock therefrom so they have a smooth working surface.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a drawing frame equipped with our improved suction clearing apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged isometric view showing a pair of top and bottom rolls, with portions of the bearing members in which opposite ends thereof are journaled, and showing respective suction heads cooperating therewith;

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view looking up at the bottom portion of the upper suction head shown in FIGURE 2 and illustrating, in particular, the wiping element therein;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 4-4 in FIGURE 1, and showing a section of top and bottom fluted drafting rolls and the novel suction heads in association therewith;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 55 in FIGURE 2, but showing a portion of the corresponding bearing stand and how each of the upper and lower suction heads bears against corresponding bearing members;

FIGURE 6 is a somewhat schematic vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 6-43 in FIGURE 5 and showing how corresponding ends of the suction heads are adjustably positioned on the respective bearing members;

FIGURE 7 is a somewhat schematic vertical sectional view taken substantially along line 7-7 in FIGURE 5 and showing the wiper element and the spacing between longitudinal edges of the suction heads and respective top and bottom fluted rolls;

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 7 wherein cushion roll or resiliently covered top roll is substituted for the fluted top roll of FIGURE 7.

In the drawings, the present invention is carried out by means of an improved clearing apparatus shown in association with a textile drawing frame, although it is to be understood that the improved clearer apparatus may be used in association with other types of textile machines having rolls for attenuating or drafting fibrous strands, such as a spinning frame, roving frame or the like. Also, the drawing frame shown herein is provided with four sets of top and bottom drafting rolls in each roll section, but it is to be understood that a greater or lesser number of sets of drafting rolls may be employed and that all drafting rolls need not be of the fluted type (see FIGURE 8, for example).

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 broadly designates a frame of the drawing frame or machine including a head-end frame member 11 which contains conventional driving mechanism, not shown, and which supports one end of a beam 12, whose other end is supported by foot-end frame member 13. As is usual, the beam 12 supports a plurality of longitudinally spaced roll stand supports 14, only one of which is partially shown in FIGURE 4. It will be observed in FIGURE 4 that the rear portions of the roll stand supports 14 support a common platform 15. The forward portion of each roll stand support 14 supports a plurality of substantially U-shaped bearing blocks or roll stands 20 which, in turn, support a plurality of roll series or sections, there being four such roll sections shown in FIGURE 1 generally designated at A, B, C and D. The proximal portions of the roll sections C, D are broken away.

In this instance, each roll section A, B, C, D includes four pairs of serially arranged top and bottom rolls, between which passes fibrous material, such as slivers S. Both the top and bottom rolls are usually fluted, as best shown in FIGURE 4. However, the top rolls are frequently in the form of cushion rolls as shown in FIGURE 8. Referring to FIGURE 4, the bottom rolls in each section are indicated at 21 through 24, inclusive, reading from the rear of the machine forwardly or from right to left in FIGURE 4, and the top rolls or weight rolls are indicated at 25 through 28. The bottom rolls in each section are connected with corresponding axially alined bottom rolls of the next adjacent section by means of roller necks or axial reduced portions 30 (FIGURE 5) which are journaled in tubular bearing members 31 having reduced medial portions 33 positioned upon the bottoms of substantially U-shaped grooves 32 formed in the respective roll stands 20.'

' It will be noted that opposite ends of each bearing member 31 are enlarged. These enlarged portions are preferably ofsubstantially the same diameter asthe pitch diameter of the fluted portions 34 of respective bottom rolls. Each end of each bottom roll is provided with a reduced portion 35 disposed between the fluted portion or boss 34 thereof and the enlarged adjacent end of the respective bearing member 31. It is apparent that corresponding reduced ends of the bottom rolls at the left-hand side of section A of FIGURE I extend into the head member 11 and are driven at progressively increasing speeds from the rear to the front in a well-known manner.

As is usual, the top rolls in each roll section are separate from the top rolls of the adjacent sections and each end of each top roll has a reduced journal portion integral therewith which is journaled in a bearing member 42 having a reduced portion 43 guided for vertical movement in a corresponding bearing block 20 (FIGURE The enlarged end of each bearing member 42 is disposed outwardly of the corresponding roll stand. Each of these enlarged portions is provided with a peripheral groove 44 for receiving the hooked upper end of a corresponding weight link 45. The lower end of each link 45 is connected to usual weighting means, not shown, as is wellknown in the art.

In FIGURES 4, 5 and 7, each top roll is also provided with an enlarged fluted or boss portion 48 which is spaced from the enlarged portion of the corresponding bearing member 42 by an intermediate reduced neck portion 49. The enlarged portion of each bearing member 42 is also preferably of a diameter substantially the same as the pitch diameter of the fluted portion 48 of the respective rolls. Of course, in the event of smooth-faced bosses or cots being provided on the rolls, as shown in FIGURE 8, the diameter of the enlarged end of bearing member 42 need only be less than the diameter of the respective boss portion 48.

The parts heretofore described are conventional parts of a drawing frame and it is with such or similar parts that the present invention is particularly adapted to be associated, it being well-known that the roll stands are adjustably mounted on the respective roll stand supports 14 in a conventional manner to permit adjustment of the roll in either section relative to each other depending upon the length of the fibers in the material being processed.

In carrying out the present method, a confining means is provided for partially confining each of the textile rolls 21 through 28 in each section A, B, C, D. All the confining means are substantially identical and are shown in the form of an elongated housing, nozzle or suction head. The suction head associated with each top roll is broadly designated at 55. The suction head associated with each bottom roll is broadly designated at 55. Since bottom suction heads 55' are substantially the same as top suction heads 55, only top suction heads 55 will be described in detail and like parts associated with bottom suction heads 55' will bear the same reference characters with the prime notation added.

Each suction head 55 is open or slotted throughout the length of the portion thereof adjacent the respective roll and includes opposed longitudinally extending side walls 56, 57 whose upper portions are interconnected by a curved upper wall 60 preferably formed integral with side walls 56, 57. Side walls 56, 57 and respective portions of top wall 60 extend upwardly in converging relationship from opposed ends of suction head 55 so as to provide a greater air capacity at the center of each suction head 55 as compared to opposed end portions thereof. An off-set outlet portion or neck 58 communicates with the central outer portion of head 55 at the point toward which said walls converge.

Opposed ends of each suction head 55 are at least partially closed by end closure members 61 which may be formed integral with side and top walls 56, 57, 6d and whose lower edges are each provided with a curved surface or arcuate cavity 62 preferably of a radius substantially conforming to, or somewhat greater than, the radius of the enlarged portion of the respective bearing member 42 so suction head 55 may be adjustably supported upon the enlarged portions of respective bearing members 42 in accurate relation to the fluted or boss portions 48 of respective top rolls. It is particularly desirable that the distance between opposed side walls 56, 57, at the lower edges thereof, does not exceed the outside diameter of the fluted or boss portion 48 and is preferably substantially less than the outside diameter of the fluted or boss portion 48 as shown in FIGURE 7 so the lower or inner edges of walls 56, 57 may be provided with arcuate surfaces 64, 65 thereon which are formed substantially concentric with the arcuate surfaces 62 formed in the end closure members 61.

Surfaces 64, 65 are preferably of a radius substantially equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the external surfaces of the ridges formed by the flutes 48 of respective top rolls. Of course, when cushion rolls, such as roll 21A in FIGURE 8 are used, surfaces 64, 65 are preferably of a radius substantially equal to or slightly greater than the radius of the external working surface of the cushion roll. Cushion roll 21A (FIGURE 8) is shown as being provided with a resilient covering or cot 21B forming the boss portion thereof, which cot may be formed of a composition material, leather, rubber, Neoprene or the like.

It is desirable to provide a clearance between the edges 64, 65 of the respective side walls 56, 57 and the cylindrical or exterior surface of the respective top rolls of from five ten-thousandths of an inch to five-thousandths of an inch in order to minimize leakage of air or to provide a substantial seal between said edges 64, 65 and the periphery of the respective rolls. In some instances, this clearance may be as much as ten-thousandths of an inch. In other words, the displacement between the surfaces 64, 65 of respective side walls 56, 57 of each suction head 55 and the periphery of the respective rolls should be held to a minimum, just so long as the surfaces 64, 65 do not contact the periphery of the respective rolls. However, suflicient clearance must be maintained to permit minute fibers, particularly non-spinnable fibers, dirt particles, cotton seed particles, moit particles, and the like, picked up by the rolls, to pass between surfaces 64, 65 and respective rolls.

Each end of each lower suction head 55' may be held in raised position adjacent the respective lower drafting roll by means such as is disclosed in said copending application and which includes, in this instance, a spring loaded detent 66 loosely mounted in a screw type housing 67 suitably secured to the respective roll stand 20. Each detent 66 is normally urged outwardly toward the respective bottom roll by a compression spring 70 (FIGURE 5). Each end wall 61' of each lower suction head 55 is provided with a cavity 71 forming a seat for the respective detent 66.

Each outlet portion 58, 58' has one end of a respective flexible conduit 72, 72' connected thereto (FIGURES 1 and 4). The outer ends of upper flexible conduits 72 are connected to a manifold 73 and the outer ends of lower flexible conduits 72' are connected to manifold 73', there being one of the manifolds provided above each set of roll stands 20. Manifolds 73, 73' extend forwardly (to the right in FIGURE 4) and are connected to pipes or conduits 74. In this instance, lower conduits 73' are connected directly to the respective vertical pipes 74 and each upper manifold 73 has an elbow 75 fixed thereto which is connected to the upper end of the corresponding vertical pipe 74 by a flexible tube 76. The upper manifolds 73 are each supported on a post 77 which, in turn, is suitably secured to the upper surface of plate 15. The lower ends of pipes 74 are connected to a common suction pipe or conduit 80 suitably supported by and extending longitudinally of the machine beneath plate 15 and the front portions of roll stand support 14. Pipe 80 is connected to a suitable collecting and suction device shown schematically at 81 in FIGURE 1.

The suction head as disclosed thus far is substantially the same as disclosed in each of said copending applications. Now, in order to facilitate accurate adjustment of the suction heads relative to the peripheries of the respective rolls, which is particularly desirable where cushion rolls are used, it will be observed in FIGURES 2, 3 and 5 that end wall 61 at each end of each suction head 55 is provided with an adjustment means embodied in a pair of circularly spaced set screws or adjustment screws 86, each of which is positioned in a threaded hole 87 (FIG- URE 3) formed in the respective end wall 61. Each end wall is provided with a split or slot 90 in its outer end which communicates with the respective threaded hole 87. During manufacture of each suction head 55, slots 90 are formed before tapping or threading holes 87 so the metal or other material from which the suction heads are formed is spread apart slightly during the tapping or threading of holes 87. Thus, screws 86 are compressively engaged by the Walls of respective threaded holes 87 to maintain or lock set screws 86 in adjusted position.

It will be observed in FIGURE 6 that each adjustment screw 86 extends at an angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of each suction head 55 or substantially radially with respect to the axis of the respective bearing member and roll. When suction heads 55 are originally installed, or whenever the peripheries of the fluted roll portions or smooth roll portions, as the case may be, become worn, set screws 86 may be adjusted to accurately adjust the suction heads so surfaces 64, 65 thereof are maintained in predeterminedly spaced relation with respect to the boss portions of the respective rolls. This is particularly important, due to the fact that the peripheries of cushion rolls become worn and grooves and ridges are formed therein by the material passing between adjacent rolls, and it is necessary that such grooves and ridges be removed from the face of the cushion rolls by removing stock from the peripheries of cushion rolls from time to time in order to dress the surfaces thereof. It is apparent that, when material is removed from the peripheries of the boss portions of cushion rolls, set screws 86 associated with the respective suction heads 55 must be adjusted to insure the desired displacement between the cots of the cushion rolls and surfaces 64, 65 of the respective suction heads 55.

Adjustment of set screws 86 also insures that a resilient or pliable wiper element or blade 92 supported within each suction head 55 is accurately positioned with respect to the periphery of the respective rolls so as to bear thereagainst.

In said copending application Serial No. 746,452 (now Patent No. 2,935,435), a method of increasing the average staple length of textile fibers is disclosed, wherein currents of air are moved in confined paths longitudinally of the peripheries of the rolls and then move outwardly so the currents of air pick up relatively small fibers which are present in the flutes between ridges on fluted rolls and which have adhered to the working surfaces of cushion rolls. By removing the short fibers, the average length of staple is increased. Now, it has been found that by providing a wiper means within the confined zone through which the air currents pass, as embodied in the suction head, extremely fine fibers which are not nor mally separated from the fibers being processed are also dislodged and picked up from the peripheries of the drafting rolls so they are also borne by the air currents, outwardly away from the respective rolls, thus increasing the elficiency of the system with consequent increased average staple length in the fibers being processed.

In this instance, the wiper means is embodied in wiper element 92 which is positioned adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the leading edge of each. suction head. Said leading edge is that edge of each suction head past which any point on the roll first moves during rotation thereof. Said leading edge is the edge 65 of the respective wall 57 in this instance. Wiper element 92 may be made from any suitable pliable or resilient material such as rubber, leather, cloth or the like, tightly wedged into a shallow groove 93 provided in the inner surface of wall 57 of the respective suction head 5.5. Wiper element 92 may be adhesively or otherwise secured to wall 57, or it may be mounted within suction head 55 in any desired manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be noted that Wiper element 92 is spaced closely adjacent surface 65, but is spaced sufliciently therefrom for air to pass both above and below or past sides of the same. To further insure that the air flows longitudinally past opposite sides of wiper element 92 even though wiper element 92 engages the ridges of fluted portions 48 of the respective fluted rolls or the periphery of respective cushion rolls, the central portion of each wiper element may be provided with one or more relatively small openings 94, and opposed ends of wiper element 92 are spaced substantially inwardly from opposed end walls 61 of each suction head 55 so the air, sucked into the suction head between the boss portions of the rolls and the enlarged ends of bearing members 42, fiows under relatively high pressure into the ends of the suction head and then longitudinally of respective boss portions and, accordingly, flows past both sides of the respective wiper elements 92. The wiper blades 92 perform quite well without openings 94.

In actual experiments, it has been found desirable to make wiper elements 92 at least as long as the actual working surfaces of the boss portions of the rolls or approximately three-fourths of the length of the boss portions. In using this system on drawing frames having roll surfaces or bosses approximately twelve inches long, it has been found desirable to provide wiper elements 92 approximately eight inches long, for example. In using the system on a spinning frame having rolls whose cots or bosses were approximately two inches long, it has been found desirable to provide wiper elements 92, which were approximately one and one-half inches long.

It is thus seen that, as air flows axially of the boss portions of the respective drafting rolls, a narrow axial portion of each roll is subjected to an axially moving current or currents of air, and fibers initially passing into the confines of suction heads 55 are at least partially wiped free of the peripheries of the boss portions by wiper elements 92 and any fibers which may tend to adhere to either or both sides of the wiper elements: are dislodged therefrom by the constant forced flow of air thereby. As corresponding working surfaces of the drafting rolls move past the wiper elements, fine fibers thereon are further subjected to the forced flow of air thereby axially of the respective rolls, and substantially perpendicular to the lay of the fibers, to dislodge the fibers from the rolls and cause the same to become airborne and thus carried away from the rolls.

It is apparent that the suction and collecting device 81 creates suction currents within suction heads 55, 55' and causes air to flow inwardly at opposite ends of each suction head and, thence, longitudinally of the peripheral surface of each roll and past opposite sides: of the respective wiper elements 92, 92' to subsequently flow away from the rolls in substantially perpendicular relation to and adjacent the central portions thereof. Since thefi ne fibers, which adhere to the rolls as the strands of fibrous material or sliver S pass therebetween (FIGURE 4), are wiped free of the working surfaces of the rolls. and are then drawn away from the rolls, this substantially increases the average staple length of the fibers. Further, upon any of the rolls becoming worn, the heads 55, 55 may be readily adjusted to maintain a minimum of clear- '7 ance between the peripheries of the rolls and the surfaces 64, 65 and 64, 64' of the respective suction heads 55, 55. This provides a substantial seal along the longitudinal edges of each suction head while permitting fine nonspinnable fibers to pass into the suction heads and thereby avoiding a build-up of fibers at the leading edges of the suction heads. The inward flow of air at each end of each suction head also maintains cool the adjacent bearing members which, in turn, permits higher speed operation of the rolls than has been possible Without using suction heads of this type. This high speed operation also increases the length of the fibers as they are drafted in passing between the rolls. This increased fiber length is effected by high speed rotation of the rolls due to the fact that movement of fibers from one pair of rolls to the next causes the leading ends of individual fibers to be grasped in such manner that a sudden pulling force is exerted thereon. At the same time the trailing ends of these fibers are tightly gripped by adjacent surrounding fibers so the individual fibers are elongated. The greater the speed of the drafting rolls, the more sudden the pulling force momentarily effected between adjacent or successive fibers and the greater the stress to which individual fibers are subjected. Consequently, greater stretch (greater length) is imparted to individual fibers.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

We claim:

A device for collecting and removing residual fibers in machines for performing a textile operation on fibrous material and wherein said machine has cooperating rolls for passing therebetween fibers being processed and bearing members in which opposite ends of each roll are journaled, said device comprising a suction element extending longitudinally of each roll, said suction element being connected to a source of suction at its medial portion and being open throughout at least that portion of its length disposed adjacent the working surface of the corresponding roll, said element at least partially encompassing said corresponding roll and having its opposite side edges disposed in close proximity to the pe riphery of the corresponding roll, means adjustably supporting said element to facilitate maintaining predetermined spaced relationship between the periphery of the corresponding roll and said opposite side edges of said element, said means adjustably supporting said element including spaced substantially radially extending adjustment screws threaded in each end of each suction element and engaging respective bearing members, and said element being so arranged as to form ingress openings at References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Buchanan et a1. Oct. 4, 1955 Whitehurst et a1 May 3, 1960 

